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Let's stop bad mouthing the Water!
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 2005-01-10 4:39 PM |
Elite  2915    New City, New York |  Subject: Let's stop bad mouthing the Water!O.k. I've done it too but it's time to give the newbies some hope. Anyone have any good swim stories? It took me a few tri's but now I actually enjoy the swim. Last year I did my first Oly (in Hartford Ct) and the water was pristine and potable (according to the organizers). It helped. I had time b4 the race to get in the water and I could see the bottom at about 15ft! The wave start was smaller than other races I've done and that combined w/ the cleanliness and temp of the water made it easy to get my rythym and continue on strong. I finished the mile in under 30 mins! When I started swiming I couldn't do 2 laps w/o being winded... so there is hope! Good luck, Mark |
| 2005-01-10 6:38 PM in reply to: #101612 |
Extreme Veteran 401 Texas | Subject: RE: Let's stop bad mouthing the Water! Im with you about being winded, but in the beginning it was after one lap. I was so used to breathing whenever I wanted. I don't necessarily have any good racing tri stories yet, but I have to say that with swimming repetition and getting a few pointers from someone who can see what you are really doing really helps. I have joined a swim masters class and in one month I have improved more than I did in the 6 months of training for my first triathlon last year. All I needed was a few pointers on technique. Its amazing how a little more efficiency of motion in the water can make swimming a 100x more enjoyable. Plus seeing the effects on splits helps with the enjoyment. The swim used to be what I feared, but Im starting to believe it might become one of my stronger points. I say focus on your weakness and overcome your fears. And this year I plan on doing open water swims every week (I hope) to alleviate some of the anxiety from open water swimming. Ive found several groups in my area that do swims on different days. Happy Training! |
| 2005-01-10 6:45 PM in reply to: #101612 |
Elite 2458 Livingston, MT | Subject: RE: Let's stop bad mouthing the Water! I can't wait to get back in the water tonight. My Master's class was closed for the last three weeks for pool maintenance. Three weeks without swimming, I'm soooo ready. |
| 2005-01-10 11:48 PM in reply to: #101612 |
Master 1927 Chicago | Subject: RE: Let's stop bad mouthing the Water! I love swimming. It's my favorite part of the tri. I love slipping into the cold water, putting my head under the water or flipping over and laying in the water letting the waves envelope me and gently rock my body. I could sleep all day out floating in the water. And when I swim I feel as beautiful as a gazelle out on the Serengeti. Let's face it few people look beautiful on a bike, all that grunting and then that seat! And running well, you try looking graceful, flailing arms, scrunched up faces, furrowed brow, but in the water you look good smooth, lovely. |
| 2005-01-11 10:32 AM in reply to: #101612 |
| Veteran 293 The Emerald City | Subject: RE: Let's stop bad mouthing the Water! |
| 2005-01-11 11:17 AM in reply to: #101612 |
Expert 798 Potomac, Maryland | Subject: RE: Let's stop bad mouthing the Water! The swim is my favorite of the three. Don't particularly like getting into cold water, but once I'm in I love my workouts. I always feel refreshed mentally and physically from a good swim. In my first tri there was a submerged sand bar part way out so that we all were able to wade several yards during the swim. That was a welcome surprise! In another tri, our 1 mile swim was shortened because of a threatening thunder storm. No one complained! The race continued, the sun came out, and we had a great event. |
| 2005-01-11 11:53 AM in reply to: #101926 |
Elite 2915 New City, New York | Subject: RE: Let's stop bad mouthing the Water! Thanks Ken, et al, I knew ther were some of us (damn runners are everywhere!) . I'm curious if anyone has ever done a swim that went counterclockwise. I'm not bilateral but it's never mattered as all my open water swims were clockwise. good luck and swim on, Mark |
| 2005-01-11 11:56 AM in reply to: #101612 |
Elite Veteran 617 Roscoe, IL. | Subject: RE: Let's stop bad mouthing the Water! When I started training last year, I couldn't swim 500 yards. I was terrified of the swim at my first Oly. distance race. My second race was not much better. My third race was preceded by a warm-up open water swim with two other bt'ers CindyK and coredump. While my time didn't improve much, my confidence and level of comfort in the water was greatly improved especially since the course was straight out over 90 ft of water. Take advantage of any opportunity you can get to train in open water. This year my training is going to focus on swimming... and running... and riding... and weights... |
| 2005-01-11 12:26 PM in reply to: #101612 |
Elite 3972 Reno | Subject: RE: Let's stop bad mouthing the Water! Swimming is grace and power, a return to some primordial state..... Look around at the swimmers - any size and shape and age! When I retire, I would like to live in a cabin on a lake and swim every day in natural waters. My 2 tri-race swims were counter clockwise.... never thought much about it. |
| 2005-01-11 12:37 PM in reply to: #101612 |
Master 1791 Raleigh, North Carolina | Subject: RE: Let's stop bad mouthing the Water! The swim is by far my best event of the 3. There's nothing in the world that I can compare to that first push off from the wall while underwater. Even the mud gooshing up through your toes in the lakes is getting kind of funny. Its amazing to me how after my 1st month back in the water how you become acclimated to some things. Like water sloshing around in your ear - at first it was annoying and I'd clear my ear at the end of every lap. Now, I don't even think much about it. |
| 2005-01-11 11:31 PM in reply to: #101952 |
| Veteran 294 MO | Subject: RE: Let's stop bad mouthing the Water! My first tri had a counterclockwise swim. I didn't think anything of it; although now that you mention it, I guess most of the courses I've seen on race websites are CW. It wasn't a problem, you can still breathe on alternate sides -- you're only actually turning two or three times, and that only takes a few strokes each time, right? |
| 2005-01-12 11:37 AM in reply to: #101612 |
Expert 852 Evergreen, Colorado Bronze member | Subject: RE: Let's stop bad mouthing the Water! I LOVE the swim!! It's my favorite part of the tri, and I love training in open water. Nothing better than riding my bike down to the lake on a warm afternoon and going for a long swim |
The swim portion of a race can be chaotic, but I usually try to distance myself from the thrashing, relax, and enjoy it.| 2005-01-12 12:43 PM in reply to: #101612 |
Champion 7704 Williamston, Michigan | Subject: RE: Let's stop bad mouthing the Water! The swim isn't my favorite, but my natural best and least scary of the three. What can I say I grew up on a beach. I actually am not a good pool swimmer and I do better in open water. I find lap swimming boring...I just bought an underwater walkman radio. For my lifeguarding class a thousand years ago we used to have to swim the harbour. |
| 2005-01-12 1:11 PM in reply to: #101678 |
Elite Veteran 610 chicago area | Subject: RE: Let's stop bad mouthing the Water! The swim is actually my strong event. Maybe it's my natural "buoyancy". My last tri which was in 2003 (was pregnant las season), I swam a 14:56 1/2 mile. I was ecstatic! Felt really good, had a nice rhythm and stayed to the outside. It was a straight shot across a lake. Now I have to work on my worst event-running. I will never be a strong runner, but I'll at least work on improvement. Tonight I'm FINALLY getting back in the water after almost a year! Nothing like starting from scratch-again. |
| 2005-01-12 3:45 PM in reply to: #101612 |
Expert 833 Adrian, MI | Subject: RE: Let's stop bad mouthing the Water! The swim is best event That is until the field reel's me in on the bike |
. Maybe I'll remedy that problem this year!!|
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